Shrimp Paste Rice with Caramelized Pork and Accoutrements

Something we Thai people commonly brag about is how flavorful our food is, with an emphasis on sweet, sour, salty, and rich notes. So much of Thai food contains different permutations of these flavors, but one of my favorite ways to taste everything all at once is through khao kluk grapi, or shrimp paste rice with all its fixings. This dish is so colorful and fun because of its many components and how it is mixed at the table. The savory, shrimp paste–coated rice is piled in the center of a